Automatic opener for parachutes



F. M. LEMON.

AUTOMATIC OPENER FOR PARACHUTES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I3, 1920.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

INVENTOR 7 7M L ewe)? W UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

rnnnnmcx M. LEMON, or OKLAHOMA, oxmnoma.

AUTOMATIC OPENER FOR PARACHUTES.

Application filed July 18, 1920. erial No. 395,912.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. LEMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Openers for Parachutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to parachutes and particularly to means for opening the same and has for an object to provide a devlce readily attachable to an aviator to be instantly released by him and which is connected to-a suitable parachute so that the latter will be quickly opened in descent. The invention consists of the construction and combination, an embodiment of which invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawlngs and described and claimed hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a perspective looking toward the front of an aviator with the device applied.

Fig. '2 is a perspective on the rear of the applied device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attachment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the parachute and the attached opening device connected to an aviator.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a portion of an opened parachute with the opening device in full open position.

The improved device for opening para- I chutes of the ordinary construction comprises a pair of bags which when opened by air pressure are constrained in a substantially hemispherical form. A pair of such bags are shown in the inflated position in Figs. 4 and 5 at 2 and 3. The adjacentsides of the bags have straps or other suitable connections 2 and 3 the ends of which are attached to the top of a parachute P that has the usual vent V in its top center portion. The strap parts 2 and 3 are shown as connected in a diametrical position across the vent V and the outermost sides of bags 2 and 3 have pairs of cords 4 and 5 extending down to and also connecting at the edge of the vent V as at 6. p 7

The strap portion 2 and 3' may be formed of the same pliant'material as that of which the bags 2 and 3 are made and these straps form connections between the bags as shown in Fig. 3. The edges of each of the bags are shown as provided with an inflatable pneumatic tubular rim part 7 having a valve 8 so that when the tubes 7 of the bags are inflated the tubes have the normal tendency of springing open and thus to automatically open the mouths of the bags.

The top portions of the bags are connected by elastic-straps or other suitable means 8 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 for the following purpose. In the use of the device the aviator fastens a harness H, comprising shoulder straps and a breast band about his body and arranges in the front of the breast band a suitable receptacle R in which there 1s compactly arranged the parachute P. The receptacle is attached over the front of the shoulders by straps or cords 10 to the harness so that when the receptacle is released from a position on the chest of the aviator it can swing to the position shown in Fig. 4 to permit the parachute P to be withdrawn from the receptacle as the bags 2 and 3 catch the air and open with the re sult that the parachute is quickly brought to a position with its vented end uppermost and therefore quickly caused to catch the air at its lowermost and free edge. After the receptacle has been placed upon the chest of the wearer the bags 2 and 3 are separated bodily by stretching the elastic connection 8 and the bags are passed around under the arms until the ends of the elastic 8 are adjacent to each other at the back as in Fig. 2 at which time the adjacent portions of the bags are connected by a suitable tie comprising a frangible element as a piece of cord 11 attached to hooks. 12 or other suitable fasteners thus holding the bags laid close around the body with the elastic 8 under tension.

When it is desired to release the bags from the tensioned and applied position the tie 11 may be suitably broken or severed as by a cutter 13 in the form of a plate having an eye through which the cord 11 passes and which eye has its edge sharpened. The cutter 13 is attached to cord or other elements 14 passing over one of the shoulders to a position on the chest of the operator to be within convenient reach so that a pull on the cord 14 causes the cutter to sever the tie 11 whereupon the elastic 8 instantly contracts and the bags aredrawn from under the arms around to the front of the body of the wearer thus releasing the receptacle R which has been held down as by the bags 2-3 forming a binding. The now freed bags and receptacle can swing upwardly by the instantaneous opening of the bag edges,

because of the automatic opening of the bags, and these will'assume a position above the aviator or wearer who may have jumped or fallen from an aerial vehicle. As the bags become inflated they draw the parachute P to an upright position from the receptacle R and cause the parachute to quickly catch the air and thus quickly become effective to support the aviator or other load that may be attached.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a harness attacl1- able to the body of the person; a parachute connected to the harness; and means connected to the parachute to bring it to an upright position and facilitate the opening of the parachute; the last named means including a pair of opposed automatically opening bag-like devices.

2. The combination with a parachute of a pair of bag-like devices attached to the vented end of a parachute and a pneumatic tube disposed about the edge of each baglike device.

3. The combination with a parachute of a pair of bag-like members connected to the vented part of the parachute; said members adapted to be laid around the body of a wearer; and elastic means for rapidly retracting the laid members when released.

4:. The combination with a parachute of a pair of bag-like members connected to the vented part of the parachute; said members adapted to be laid around the body of a wearer; and elastic means for rapidly retracting the laid members when released; and means for automatically separating the edges of the members to cause them to rapidly catch the air.

5. The combination with a parachute, of means to facilitate the opening thereof, said means comprising readily releasable devices attachable about the body of the wearer havingresilient means to accelerate their opening movement when released.

6. The combination with a parachute of means attached to the top thereof to fa cilitate the opening thereof, said means comprising cup devices attachable about the body of the wearer, and having resilient means to accelerate their opening movement when released.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK M. LEMON. 

